underbill



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

\ G. UNDERHILL, DGO'd.

J. vD. UNDERHILL and EEUNDERHILL, Administrators.

SPRING MOTOR- Patented May-16, 1882;

. WITNESSES ATTORYS.

(No Mod''l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. UNDERHILL, Deed.

J. D. UNDERHILL andE. UNDERHILL, Administrators. SPRING MOTOR.

No. 258,169. 5 Patented 'May'lfi, 1882.

mil H I R u nu WITNESSES: mania/7." I wa z t N PETERS. PhohrUthngnpher.wamin mn, B4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Y1). UNDERHILL, OE HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, AND ELIZABETH UNDERHILL, OFNEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ADMINISTRATORS OF GILBERT UNDERHILL, DECEASED.

SPRING-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of :Letters Patent No. 258,159, dated May 16,1882, Application filed October 6, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that GILBERT UNDERHILL, de-

ceased, late of New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State ofNew York, did inventa new pod useful Im provement in Spring- Motors, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a rear elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2, Sheet1, is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is afront elevationof the same. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, illustrates a modification of the same. i

'The object of this invention is to equalize the driving power of acoiled spring, and thus adapt it to drive a sewing-machine or othermachinery at a uniform speed.

The invention consists in a spring-motor constructed with a frame, acoiled spring or springs, a regulating-wheel driven by the coiled springand provided with a spiral row of perforations, a spur-wheel engagingwith the regulating-wheel and sliding upon a shaft, and a train ofgear-wheels, whereby power will be applied to the gear-wheels with a.graduallyincreasing advantage of leverage as the force of the uncoilin gspring decreases; also, in the combination, with the frame and theregulating-wheel, of a stay-wheel, whereby the said regulating-wheel isheld against the push of the spur-wheel; also, in the combination,withthe belt-pulley, of the brake-wheel, the brakeshoe, the connectingrod,and the treadle, whereby the motor can be readily stopped; and, also, inthe combination, with the regulating-wheel, of the extra spur-wheel andthe extra shaft, whereby the said regulating-wheel can be readily turnedback to coil the spring, as willbe hereinafter fully described.

A represents the frame of -the motor, which is designed to be attachedto the frame of the machine to be driven or to some other suitablesupport.

B is a spring coiled around a shaft, 0, to which the inner end of thesaid spring is attached. The outer end of the spring B is attached tothe outer part of the frame A. The

shaftG revolves in hearings in the middle part of the frame A, and toit, near its end and at the outer side of the frame A, is attached alarge disk, circular plate, or wheel, D, in which is formed a spiral rowof small holes, E, asshown in Fig. 3, to receive the spurs of thespur-wheel F, placed upon the vertical shaft G. The lower end of theshaft G revolves in a bearing in the lower partof the bracket H, thelower end of which rides upon the end of the shaft 0. The upper part ofthe shaft Gr revolves in a bearing in a cross-bar, I, attached to thetop of the frame A, and to the projecting outer end of which is attachedthe upper end of the bracket H. The spur-wheel F is. connected with theshaft G by a tongue and groove, so that it will carry the said shaftwith it in its revolution, but will slide up and down upon the saidshaft freely.

To the upper end of the shaft G is attached a large beveled-gear wheel,J, into the teeth of which mesh the teeth of a small beveled gear wheel,K, placed ppon the shaft L, and connected with the said shaft L by aset-screw or other suitable means, so that the said gearwheel K can bedetached and replaced in-a reversed position to engage with the teeth ofthe gear-wheel J at the other side of its shaft G when it is desired todrive the machine in the opposite direction. A loose gear-wheel can beplaced upon the shaft L at the opposite side of the shaft G from thegear-wheel K to engage with theteeth of the gear-wheel J, andthus holdit against any side strain. In this case the direction of motion in themachine to be driven can be changed by releasing the gearwheel K andmaking the other gear-wheel fast to the said shaft L. The shaft Lrevolves in hearings in studs attached to the cross-bar l,

and its outer end is squared to receive a crank for turning the saidshaft back to coil the spring B. i

Upon the rear end of the shaft L is placed a loose gear-wheel, M, towhich is pivoted a pawl,

N, to engage'with the teeth of the ratchet. wheel 0, rigidly attached tothe shaft L, so that the said shaft, when turned forward, will carry thegear-wheel M with it, but can be turned back to re-coil the spring Bwithout turning the said gear-wheel. The pawl N is made reversible, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the teeth of the ratchet-wheel-O are soformed that the said pawl N, when turned in' either direction, willengage with them, so that the said pawl and ratchet-wheel can properlyconnect the shaft L and gear-wheel M in whatever direction the saidshaft and gear-wheel may be revolved. The teeth of the gear-wheel M meshintothe teeth of a small gear-wheel, P,jour- 'naled to theframe A, andto which is attached,

or with it is rigidly connected, a large gearwheel, Q. The teeth of thegear-wheel Q mesh into the teeth of the small gear-wheel R, journaled tothe frame A, and with which is rigidly connected the pulley S to receivethe belt by means of which motion is given to the machinery to bedriven.

Upon the side of the pulley S is formed, or to it is attached, a flangeor brake wheel, T, against the face of which rests the brake-shoe U. Thebrake-shoe U is hinged to the end of a lever, V, which is pivoted to theframe A, or to a support attached to the said frame A.

To the outer end of the brake-lever V is hinged the upper end of aconnecting-rod, W, the lower end of which is hinged to the inner end ofthe foot lever or treadle X. The treadle X is pivoted to a supportattached to the floor or to the frame A, and its outer end projects intosuch a position that it can be readily reached and operated by theattendant with his foot to apply the brake and stop the motor.

The perforated wheel D is held in a vertical position against the sidepressure of the spurwheel F by a wheel, Y, journaled to a crossbar ofthe frame A in such a position as to bear against the inner or rear sideof the said wheel D.

To the lower end of the bracket H is pivoted the inner end of ahorizontal shaft, Z, the outer end of which is pivoted toa supportattached to the frame A. Upon the shaft Z is placed a spur-wheel, a, thespurs of which engage with the spiral row of perforations in theregulating-wheel D. The spur-wheel a is connected with the shaft Z byatongue and groove, so that it will be carried around by and with theshaft Z, but can slide freely upon the said shaft. The shaft Z is madeof such a length that its outer end will project beyond the rim of theregulating-wheel D. The projecting outer end of the shaft Z is squaredto receive a crank for turning the shaftZ and spur-wheel a to turn thewheel D and coil the spring B. The shaft Z and spur-wheel a enable theoperator to coil the spring B very quickly, but require a greater outlayof power than when the crank is applied to the end of the shaft L.

Instead of a single long spring, B, several short springs, B, can beused, and connected with each other and with the shaftO and frame A insuch a manner as to act as a single long spring in communicating powerto the Wheel D and through it to the gear-wheels. To do this the outerend of the first short spring B is attached to the frame A, and itsinner end is attached to a hub, 1), running loosely upon the shaft 0.

To the inner end of the hub bis attached a disk, 0, which has aninwardly -projecting flange or arm, d, attached to or formed upon itsrim.

To the flange or arm d is attached the outer end of the second shortspring B, the inner end of which is attached to a second loose hub, 11.Two or more short springs B can be used, and the hub b, to which theinner end of the last short spring B is attached, is secured to theshaft 0 by a set-screw or other suitable means. The last hub b can havea disk attached to it to keep its springin place. By this arrangementthe series of short springs B will act as a single long spring, so thatthe effect of asingle spring of any desired length can be obtained byusing short springs.

The side parts of the frame A can have flanges or lugs 0 formed uponthem to serve as guards to receive a casing and keep it in place.

Having thus described the invention of G. UNDERHILL, deceased, we claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Aspring-motorconstructed substantially as herein shown and described, and consistingof the frame A, the coiled spring or springs B, the regulating-wheel D,having spiral row of perforations E, the sliding spur-wheel F,

the train of gear wheels J K M P Q R, and the belt-pulley S, as setforth.

2. In a spring-motor, the regulating-wheel D, constructed, substantiallyas herein shown and described, with a spiral row of perforations toreceive the spurs of a spur-wheel, as set forth.

3. In a spring-motor, the combination, with the spring B and the trainof gear-wheels J K M P Q R, of the regulating-wheel D, having spiral rowof perforations E, substantially as herein shown and described, wherebythe power will be applied to the gear-wheels with a gradually-increasingadvantage of leverage as the force of the uncoiling spring decreases, asset forth.

4. In a spring-motor, the combination, with the frame A and theregulating-wheel D, of the wheel Y, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby the said regulatingwheel is held against the push ofthe spurwheel, as set forth.

5. In a spring-motor, the combination, with the regulating-wheel D, ofthe extra spur-wheel a and the extra shaft Z, substantially as hereinshown and described, whereby the said regulating-wheel can be readilyturned back to c'oil the spring, as set forth.

JOHN D. UNDERHILL,

' Administrator. ELIZABETH UNDERHILL,

Administratriw.

Witnesses to signature of John D. Underhill G. SEDGWICK, J. H.SCARBOROUGH.

Witnesses to signature of Elizabeth Underhill:

CHARLES G. BANKS, F. W. VAN FELM.

